Description: Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together. What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely. And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

Review: Starry Eyes is the perfect book to kick off your summer vacation. Zorie and Lennon are former best friends (and crushes) and now enemies, but they rediscover and fall for each other on a backpacking
trip in in Jenn Bennett's latest sweet romance
novel. Zorie and Lennon were once inseparable and potentially on the verge of becoming more during their junior year homecoming, but they haven't talk since Lennon stood Zorie up and broke her heart.
Zorie and Lennon are completely different. Zorie becomes anxious when her day is not followed by a rigid schedule where everything is written down. She is fascinated by astronomy. Lennon is a horror fanboy, an amateur herpetologist, music aficionado, and a skilled hiker. These two characters collide when they discover they are both attending the same glamping vacation in northern California hosted by Reagan, the popular girl in school and sometimes friends with Zorie. Zorie
Everhart uncharacteristically agrees to go,
figuring she can still manage to meet up with fellow astronomers to
witness a meteor shower on a nearby mountain.Whereas Lennon was invited by Instagram obsessed Brett who is always looking for the perfect selfie to post online. Like most YA dramas and romances, there is drama and misunderstanding between the groups of friends which leads Zorie and Lennon alone together to find their way home. I was actually thrilled to get away from the drama as Reagan and company got on my nerves.
I have read quite a lot of books where friends turn to a couple, but you don't get to witness the romance. This is not true in Starry Eyes. You can actually see Zorie and Lennon interact and there is a lot of things to resolve and move past old hurts. I also liked that while these two were working out their problems figuratively, they were also doing it literally as they cover tough terrain and animal attacks.
I appreciate the inclusion of diversity in Starry Eyes too. Zorie's stepmother is Korean-American. Lennon has two moms and an Egyptian-American biological father. It is so refreshing to see how both families have a positive and strong bond with their children. I also really enjoyed seeing some serious topics such as grief, betrayal, divorce, mental illness, and loss were also explored in the book along side humor which gives the book depth. While I didn't love it as much as Alex, Approximately, I still think it is a solid read and I would definitely recommend it.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is discussion of sex as Lennon's mothers own an adult store and the characters openly discuss it themselves. There is also a small consensual sex scene but not too explicit. There is also mention of suicide, underage drinking, and some strong language. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

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